We advocate for the reintegration of architecture and agriculture, understanding buildings as irrevocably linked to landscapes of extraction. Bio-based materials offer an alternative to the globally sourced, carbon-intensive, socially destructive materials commonly used in the construction industry. We challenge the systems, technologies, processes, supply chains, regulations and materials that make up the construction industry with the aim of transforming the way we build.
Our practice works across different scales developing materials and prototypical buildings to look strategically at the adaptation of the landscapes and supply chains from which they emerge. We design buildings working to integrate circular and bio-based materials and minimally processed minerals into efficient construction systems. Alongside this, we carry out strategic research into how these practices can be applied at scale and how they relate to a broader move towards regenerative land management practices. We run our own construction skills programme, MAKE, alongside research and teaching in partnership with different institutions.


Paloma Gormley
Director

Avni Patel
People, Learning & Culture

Daria Moatazed-Keivani
Studio Lead and Operations

Huma Mahmood
Project Co-ordinator

Sanjukta Jitendhar
Studio Lead

Will Bradley
Studio Lead
Photography by Michael Sabuni

Summer Islam
Director

Bo Yee Lau
Project Co-ordinator

Francesca Leibowitz
Unit 3 Co-ordinator

Kaye Song
Construction Co-ordinator

Sara Pereira
Grants & Communications

George Massoud
Director

Chai Pandya
Finance

Giacomo Oldfield
Project Steward

Rory Corr
Project Lead

Serena Faizal
Project Co-ordinator
Argent
Arup
The Architectural Association
The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Bauhaus Earth
BlackRootz
Brightbox
Building Centre
Central Saint Martins, UAL
Charleston House
CIVIC SQUARE
Create London
Design Doha
The Design Museum
Evolving Forests
Fishtank
Forestry England
Grizedale Arts
HG Matthews
Hong Kong Design Institute
Human Nature
Impact on Urban Health
International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam
London Metropolitan University
Margent Farm
The London School of Architecture
Naked House
Newham London Borough Council
Peabody
re:arc Institute
RESOLVE
Stiftung Sitterwerk
SOM Foundation
Timisoara Architecture Biennial
Tipping Point East
The Tudor Trust
V&A Museum
YesMake
York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership
Woods into Management Fund
Wolves Lane Consortium
Selected Press
‘Bark is the original dampproof membrane!’ Meet the radical designers who let nothing go to waste
Oliver Wainwright
2025, The Guardian
Build Local!
Ellen Peirson
2025, The Architect's Newspaper
Material Cultures: the radical architects rethinking how – and what – we build
Mary Richardson
2025, Building Design
Material Cultures on transforming woodland waste into sustainable sheet materials
Derin Fadina
2025, The RIBA Journal
Material Cultures
Reuben J Brown
2024, The Architectural Review
Behind the scenes with a trio of architects pioneering sustainable materials
Malaika Byng
2024, House and Garden
Getting to the Root: Prototypes constructed using plant building materials
Lucia Gratz
2024, Werk, Bauen + Wohnen
Selected Talks
International Conference on Bioregional Architecture and Design Practice
Architecture on Stage: Material Cultures
Architecture Foundation with the Barbican
Material Cultures: Material Transformations
École D'architecture De La Ville & Des Territoires Paris-Est
2024, Paris
Symposium: On Tolerance and Transformation
HKU Department of Architecture

We believe that the work of testing and practising the possibilities of socio-ecological justice within architecture begins internally. The harmful practices embedded in construction's supply chains repeat themselves inside the studio. Extractive land management and material streams find their echo in overwork culture, top-down management and opaque financial structures.
With support from peers and collaborators, we have been reviewing our internal processes to reflect the values we claim and to align better with our mission, as well as the demands of the Section of Architectural Workers (SAW).

We advocate for the reintegration of architecture and agriculture, understanding buildings as irrevocably linked to landscapes of extraction. Bio-based materials offer an alternative to the globally sourced, carbon-intensive, socially destructive materials commonly used in the construction industry. We challenge the systems, technologies, processes, supply chains, regulations and materials that make up the construction industry with the aim of transforming the way we build.
Our practice works across different scales developing materials and prototypical buildings to look strategically at the adaptation of the landscapes and supply chains from which they emerge. We design buildings working to integrate circular and bio-based materials and minimally processed minerals into efficient construction systems. Alongside this, we carry out strategic research into how these practices can be applied at scale and how they relate to a broader move towards regenerative land management practices. We run our own construction skills programme, MAKE, alongside research and teaching in partnership with different institutions.

Paloma Gormley
Director

Summer Islam
Director

George Massoud
Director

Avni Patel
People, Learning & Culture

Bo Yee Lau
Project Co-ordinator

Chai Pandya
Finance

Daria Moatazed-Keivani
Studio Lead and Operations

Francesca Leibowitz
Unit 3 Co-ordinator

Giacomo Oldfield
Project Steward

Huma Mahmood
Project Co-ordinator

Kaye Song
Construction Co-ordinator

Rory Corr
Project Lead

Sanjukta Jitendhar
Studio Lead

Sara Pereira
Grants & Communications

Serena Faizal
Project Co-ordinator

Will Bradley
Studio Lead
Argent
Arup
The Architectural Association
The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Bauhaus Earth
Building Centre
Central Saint Martins, UAL
Charleston House
CIVIC SQUARE
Create London
The Design Museum
Evolving Forests
Fishtank
Forestry England
Grizedale Arts
HG Matthews
Hong Kong Design Institute
Human Nature
International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam
London Metropolitan University
The London School of Architecture
Naked House
Newham London Borough Council
re:arc Institute
Stiftung Sitterwerk
SOM Foundation
Timisoara Architecture Biennial
V&A Museum
York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership
Woods into Management Fund
Wolves Lane Consortium

Selected Writing
Rebuilding the Bog
Summer Islam
2024, Faktur
Planting a Seed
Summer Islam
2023, The Architectural Review
On Regeneration
Material Cultures with Jess Gough
2023, Real Review, Issue 14
Material Reform
Material Cultures with Amica Dall
2022, Mack Books
Selected Books
The New Sustainable House
Penny Craswell
2025, Thames and Hudson
Constructive Disobedience: An Experimental Methodology in Architecture
Ed. Matthias Ballestrem, Katharina Benjamin, Helga Blocksdorf
2025, Birkhauser
Manual of Biogenic House Sections
Ed. Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, David J. Lewis
2022, ORO Editions
Selected Press
‘Bark is the original dampproof membrane!’ Meet the radical designers who let nothing go to waste
Oliver Wainwright
2025, The Guardian
Build Local!
Ellen Peirson
2025, The Architect's Newspaper
Material Cultures: the radical architects rethinking how – and what – we build
Mary Richardson
2025, Building Design
Material Cultures on transforming woodland waste into sustainable sheet materials
Derin Fadina
2025, The RIBA Journal
Material Cultures
Reuben J Brown
2024, The Architectural Review
Behind the scenes with a trio of architects pioneering sustainable materials
Malaika Byng
2024, House and Garden
Getting to the Root: Prototypes constructed using plant building materials
Lucia Gratz
2024, Werk, Bauen + Wohnen
In Search of Sustainable Materials, Architects are Turning to an Unusual Source: Hemp
Francesca Perry
2023, BBC
Selected Talks
Insulating the Bioregion
International Conference on Bioregional Architecture and Design Practice
2024, Munich
Growing Place
Spirit of Paimio Conference
2024, Helsinki
Architecture on Stage: Material Cultures
Architecture Foundation with the Barbican
2024, London
Material Cultures: Material Transformations
École D'architecture De La Ville & Des Territoires Paris-Est
2024, Paris
Deans Talk: Material Reform
ETH Zurich
2023, Switzerland
Make Good Symposium
V&A Museum
2023, London
Symposium: On Tolerance and Transformation
HKU Department of Architecture
2022, Hong Kong
We believe that the work of testing and practising the possibilities of socio-ecological justice within architecture begins internally. The harmful practices embedded in construction's supply chains repeat themselves inside the studio. Extractive land management and material streams find their echo in overwork culture, top-down management and opaque financial structures.
With support from peers and collaborators, we have been reviewing our internal processes to reflect the values we claim and to align better with our mission, as well as the demands of the Section of Architectural Workers (SAW).
As policies become available, we will upload them here.
10 Charles Street, London, E16 2BY
E info@materialcultures.org
T 02030626832
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